Here's the rule: Don’t zoom. Pushing that zoom button while shooting is like waving a huge banner that says "Amateur!"

One caveat: It's OK to use your zoom to find a good shot. Just don't zoom while you are recording. Watch any movie, TV drama, or professional news report. You won’t see any zooming.

But how do you show viewers something new? The answer is to stop the camera, find the new shot, then start recording again. That's how professionals use their zoom.

That said, zooming is a very natural thing to do. That's why it’s important to consciously avoid zooming. In normal life, out eyes naturally dart around the environment—never halting on anything for more than a second or two. To understand this, pay attention to your viewing patterns right now. Are you staring transfixed at a given point, or do your eyes dart around—gathering up dozens of images each minute and assembling a whole in your mind. It's the latter.